Saudi state-run Al Ekhbariya TV reported early on Friday that Algerian attacker Riyad Mahrez has officially finalized his transfer to Al-Ahli from Manchester City. Mahrez came to Al-Ahli from Manchester City.
On Twitter, Al Ekhbariya announced that Mahrez had joined Al-Ahli as the club’s newest player, but they did not disclose any other information. The Jeddah-based club has not yet made a public declaration about the matter.
After making the transfer to Manchester City from Leicester City in 2018, Mahrez amassed a total of 236 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 78 goals and contributing 59 assists. He also won 11 trophies with the club, including five league crowns.
The 32-year-old forward had a limited role for Pep Guardiola’s team during the previous campaign, during which he scored 15 goals in 47 games but did not participate in the finals of the FA Cup or the Champions League as Manchester City achieved a historic triple.
The previous year, he extended his contract until the year 2025.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo made the transfer to Al Nassr in January of 2018, the Saudi Pro League has emerged as a desirable destination for players residing in Europe. Mahrez is the most recent star of significant renown to sign with a club in the league.
Al-Ahli, who won promotion to the Pro League after spending one season in the second division last year, have also signed Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino on a free transfer and Chelsea’s Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy on a three-year contract. Al-Ahli spent one season in the second division last year before winning promotion to the Pro League.
A project including the league champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr, and Al-Hilal was unveiled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) a month ago. The project is called the Sports Clubs Investment and Privatization Project.